Tips to Help Employees Sleep Better

It is very easy to spot an employee who has had a restless night of sleep; they resemble one of the walking dead. That general grogginess and mental fatigue is something that can directly translate to work life, affecting the productivity and health of your employees. It is important to take a break a night and recharge the body and mind through a good night’s sleep.

The body’s ability to fall asleep and stay asleep depends on a lot on stress, hormones, and good daily health habits. If an employee is having sleep issues, Continuwell nurses are available at all hours to help your employees get to the root of these problems. Our nurses will listen to find out if they are a part of a bigger illness going undetected, and if so advise on what the next steps are.

Making sure your employees get enough sleep is crucial for optimal performance and for overall wellbeing. Without sleep, we are unable to function and productivity levels in the workplace can really dip. When tired, simple tasks can seem like they take monumental amounts of effort. Employees who aren’t well rested can find it hard to focus, and mistakes can be made. When employees wake up energized and well rested, they will be ready to take on the day.

Productivity isn’t the only thing that a sleepless night can affect; it also can lower and compromise your employees’ immune system making them susceptible to all sorts of nasty viruses and illnesses. According to a recent survey that exposed a group of men and women to a rhinovirus after following their sleep patterns for 14 days, those with less than 95% optimal sleep efficiency were 5 times more likely to develop the rhinovirus than the workers who got enough sleep. Employees with weakened immune systems may need to take more sick days, costing themselves and the company money.

Continuwell knows that getting a good night’s sleep isn’t as simple as it sounds, which is why our nurses have created a list of tips to help your employees get the best sleep:

Stick to a sleep schedule and develop a habit: We have all experienced a night when our mind just won’t shut down. If you are not sleeping in 15 minutes, get up and find a relaxing quiet way to get your mind quieted and ready to rest.

Pay attention to what you eat and drink before bedtime: The stimulating effects of nicotine and caffeine take hours to wear off and can wreak havoc on quality sleep. And even though alcohol might make you feel sleepy at first, it can disrupt sleep later in the night.

Create a bedtime ritual: Warm bath, lowered lights, soft music, or a good book may all be great preludes to a good night’s sleep. Be careful of using electronics to help you become drowsy. There are studies that show your rest may not be as efficient as you would like.

Limit daytime naps: While a 10 to 20 min nap may be refreshing in the afternoon, longer naps may actually slow you down and then prevent you from sleeping properly at night.

Turn off screens: The artificial light on your phone screen can mess with your Circadian Rhythms, which control the timing of physiological processes and are set by the amount of light and dark your body is exposed to. Your rhythms determine sleeping and feeding patterns, so try to avoid any exposure to blue light 30-60 minutes prior to bed.

Manage stress: When you have too much to do and too much to think about, your sleep is likely to suffer. To help restore peace, consider healthy ways to manage stress. Start with the basics, such as getting organized, setting priorities, and delegating tasks. Give yourself permission to take a break when you need one. Share a good laugh with an old friend. Before bed, jot down what’s on your mind and then set it aside for tomorrow.